The Food and Drug Administration's Regulation of Humanitarian Use Devices

A humanitarian use device is a device used in treating rare medical conditions.

Liability of Ammunition Manufacturers

Gun manufacturers have been faced with product liability suits claiming that the manufacturers should be held strictly liable for producing certain guns, even if they worked exactly as intended, because the guns constituted defective, "unreasonably dangerous" products. What about the manufacturers of ammunition? Gun violence would not be possible without ammunition. Can ammunition manufacturers be held liable for producing unreasonably dangerous products?

Recovery in Strict Products Liability for Product Damage Alone

Products liability is the area of the law that deals with injuries and property damage caused by defective products. A product is considered defective if it has a design or manufacturing flaw. If the product lacks proper instructions or lacks sufficient warnings about any dangers associated with its use, a product can also be considered defective. This article discusses recovery for defective products when the only damage was to the product itself. There were no personal injuries or damages to other property.

Types of Defects in Products

A manufacturer has a duty to make safe products for consumers. It does not, however, have to make products that are completely accident proof or design the safest product possible. In products liability law, a defect does not mean an inferior quality product, instead it refers to the lack of safety in the product--the product has an unexpected defect or danger.

Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicles can have design defects and manufacturing defects. If a defect causes harm to a consumer, the manufacturer can be held liable for damages. You have probably heard of a manufacturer "recalling" an automobile or an automobile part because it is defective. The manufacturer will generally repair or replace the defective part or automobile without charge. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publishes recall information and also issues safety alerts and warnings about vehicles.